ALBUM REVIEW: The Doomsday Kingdom - "The Doomsday Kingdom"

 

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 07/04/2017

Label: Nuclear Blast

In summary, Edling has lost none of his Midas touch here. The Doomsday Kingdom is a record that delivers in every way that is expected. It melds doom and trad metal to great effect and does so whilst sounding fresh and inspired, with a great cast of superior musicians. If you have any interest in any of Edling's previous bands, this is a must. If you are looking for some doom in the trad style, then absolutely pick this one up. A sterling success all around, then!

“The Doomsday Kingdom” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Silent Kingdom (5:11)

2. The Never Machine (6:35)

3. A Spoonful Of Darkness (5:50)

4. See You Tomorrow (4:36)

5. The Sceptre (7:19)

6. Hand Of Hell (5:58)

7. The Silence (7:26)

8. The God Particle (9:17)

The Review:

Leif Edling is a name known to anyone with an interest in the doom genre. Via Candlemass and more recently Avatarium, he has written an impressive entry in the encyclopaedia of metal. With The Doomsday Kingdom's self titled debut he has added to his already stellar reputation. Where to start? Well, this is an impressive release which crosses doom with more traditional metal fare. Frankly, this is right up my street in terms of style. Having recruited Niklas Stalvind of Wolf, Edling has given listeners an idea of what to expect here.

Think Sabbath meeting Angel Witch and you have a pretty good reference point. “Silent Kingdom” comes with an impressive opening groove, while “The Never Machine” is a little darker in sound. “A Spoonful of Darkness” is doomier still, but without resorting to the crawling tempos beloved on Edling's original Alma mater.

Indeed, the first three tracks set the tone here; if you like them, the rest of the album will seem like a dream come true. It welds Sabbath, Priest and NWOBHM stylings to great effect. It rocks hard enough to keep your average trad metal fan's head nodding, but in tracks such as “See You Tomorrow” and “The Sceptre” it has enough maudlin darkness (the latter) and experimentation of sound (the former- a charming instrumental) to satisfy fans of Edling's past work.

The material on offer here is heavy for sure and the production is great- clear and thick at the same time. It sounds like every inch a modern doom/trad record, worthy of the names attached to it. There is more than enough texture to the sound as well- you can hear Hammond organ in parts, there are acoustic guitars on the album, even keys as well. When the band picks up the pace on “Hand of Hell”, it sounds convincing and evokes the sounds of Trouble or mid period Paradise Lost.

There are two doom epics which close the record out: “The Silence” and “The God Particle”. Both are as heavy as lead and finish the album in fine style. There is light and shade to “The Silence”, as well as vocal histrionics from Stalvind, to go with the weighty riffage. The final statement of “The God Particle” is perhaps closer to Candlemass than the rest of the record, in terms of weight and mood. Its post nine minutes of gloom are an impressive way to finish the record.

In summary, Edling has lost none of his Midas touch here. The Doomsday Kingdom is a record that delivers in every way that is expected. It melds doom and trad metal to great effect and does so whilst sounding fresh and inspired, with a great cast of superior musicians. If you have any interest in any of Edling's previous bands, this is a must. If you are looking for some doom in the trad style, then absolutely pick this one up. A sterling success all around, then!

“The Doomsday Kingdom” is available now



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